Wall dive advice - low experience diver
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Davey Jonesen
Registered
I didn't read all posts so excuse me if some of this is repeated. If you're comfortable with the dive, go. If depth is a concern, try to find a group of people who are staying on the shallower ledge that I read about in the description of the dive. If no one is staying shallower that would be the only concern I would have about going. I've been on one dive that I would consider a wall dive. The top of the wall was shallow and rounded so I could not really see it and the bottom dropped into the big blue somewhere so:
WATCH YOUR DEPTH CLOSELY
If your on a good wall, especially like one described above where you have no reference point other than your gauge, it's easy to find cool stuff as you desced and keep following it down and before you realize it your 20' or more deeper than you are comfortable with or deeper than you should be. In the first 33', you double the pressure from atmospheric, but from 66 to 99', the increase is only 33% of total pressure so for some people, like me, its easy to make a good depth change in deeper water without feeling much squeeze. With no depth references, check gauges often and make sure there is always at least a diver/buddy deeper than you and in close range.
WATCH YOUR DEPTH CLOSELY
If your on a good wall, especially like one described above where you have no reference point other than your gauge, it's easy to find cool stuff as you desced and keep following it down and before you realize it your 20' or more deeper than you are comfortable with or deeper than you should be. In the first 33', you double the pressure from atmospheric, but from 66 to 99', the increase is only 33% of total pressure so for some people, like me, its easy to make a good depth change in deeper water without feeling much squeeze. With no depth references, check gauges often and make sure there is always at least a diver/buddy deeper than you and in close range.
I agree he asked a very reasonable question and got some good answers. When I replied last night the general tone struck me as "don't do it you will die!!" This morning I reread the thread and it was not that bad. However, it just seems that a lot of advice was negative.
Funny... the only people I hear utter crass nonsense like this tend to be people who've never had to confront their own mortality in harm's way...
Careful there. You have no idea who I am and what I have faced.
rk288
Contributor
My first wall dive was after I had completed my AOW. I requested to buddy up with the DM since at the time I had less than 20 dives logged in the past year. There were 4 other divers, all more experienced with us.
I was last in the water and it was off to the races! It was all I could do to keep up with him and I never saw him look back to see where I was??? I finally did get his attention to let him know I was at turnaround pressure and then he won the race back to the mooring...it reflected in his tip and given the option to dive with him again I opted out...
I was last in the water and it was off to the races! It was all I could do to keep up with him and I never saw him look back to see where I was??? I finally did get his attention to let him know I was at turnaround pressure and then he won the race back to the mooring...it reflected in his tip and given the option to dive with him again I opted out...
I've been thinking about this and would like to propose a model based on the four rung Conscious Competence Ladder:
Level 1 - You have never been on a particular type/depth of dive, you don't know if you can do it or not but then again you don't know what you don't know
Level 2 - you've tried it and you know you can't do it; panic, OOA etc
Level 3 - you've done it and nothing went wrong so you survived it
Level 4 - you've done it and had some issues but coped with them
On this model I would suggest the OP would be at level 1 or maybe even lower since only just having completed OW
NB This is not a criticism of the OP, just thinking about a framework
Level 1 - You have never been on a particular type/depth of dive, you don't know if you can do it or not but then again you don't know what you don't know
Level 2 - you've tried it and you know you can't do it; panic, OOA etc
Level 3 - you've done it and nothing went wrong so you survived it
Level 4 - you've done it and had some issues but coped with them
On this model I would suggest the OP would be at level 1 or maybe even lower since only just having completed OW
NB This is not a criticism of the OP, just thinking about a framework
A wall dive is typically a dive that either the bottom is extremely deep or you just plain can't see it. If you ARE going to do a wall dive I would definitely do it either with a divemaster or an instructor. You also want to make sure your bouyancy skills are good. If you don't have a divemaster or an instructor for this for your first time I'd probably consider doing an easier dive until you're more comfortable. Good luck!
I teach in Pennsylvania just south of Pittsburgh. I am also available to travel to you. Class tuition is no more. Just add in travel expenses and we are good to go!
Nice :banana: If I am ever in Pittsburgh I shall definitely pay you a visit!
I live a way too much up North in Europe where the waters are dark, cold, and have extremely poor visibility. When you are wreck diving over here you may even not notice the wreck itself till you bump it with your forehead or streched out arm. It would be the same as to compare diving with your eyes closed all the time.
I don't think it's much fun. It's called the Baltic Sea.You are most welcome to come over any time though. I think it would be cool to have you teach a couple of classes in local dive shops / clubs, to have some kind of experience and know how exchange. Travel expenses the last time I checked (air fare only) were around USD 2000 economy class both ways.
k:tasher12
New
Don't let it scare you. Just did a couple of "wall" dives in Cozumel...my first dive in salt water. As long as you keep an eye on your depth, you'll be fine. About your weights, I had to double my fresh water weight for salt water.
klinc
Registered
Wall dive at Stuarts Cove...
The wife and I did a resort course there last July in the morning. In the afternoon we did a 2 tank dive also. One of the dives was a wall dive "Tounge of the Oceans". We were told it was 6k ft to the bottom, but it was not a straight vertical drop like I expected.
We went down to about 65 ft (Yes, now after going through the classes and getting certified I realize that was probably not the best thing for them to do with us.) and there was plenty of bottom underneath you if you feel like or think you are going to sink uncontrollably. If I remember correctly the top of the "wall" started at about 40ish ft or so and sloped down pretty shallow at least to around 80-90 ft or so (as far as we could see from 60-65 ft).
If you are doing a wall dive with them it's probably going to be the same spot or around that area. Look for the sharks swimming around the wall... that was the best dive of the three we did that day and was awesome to see sharks coming up to us about 10 ft and checking us out. Was an awesome day overall for a first time with scuba gear, well until we found out in class a month later that we shouldn't have been doing what we did.
The wife and I did a resort course there last July in the morning. In the afternoon we did a 2 tank dive also. One of the dives was a wall dive "Tounge of the Oceans". We were told it was 6k ft to the bottom, but it was not a straight vertical drop like I expected.
We went down to about 65 ft (Yes, now after going through the classes and getting certified I realize that was probably not the best thing for them to do with us.) and there was plenty of bottom underneath you if you feel like or think you are going to sink uncontrollably. If I remember correctly the top of the "wall" started at about 40ish ft or so and sloped down pretty shallow at least to around 80-90 ft or so (as far as we could see from 60-65 ft).
If you are doing a wall dive with them it's probably going to be the same spot or around that area. Look for the sharks swimming around the wall... that was the best dive of the three we did that day and was awesome to see sharks coming up to us about 10 ft and checking us out. Was an awesome day overall for a first time with scuba gear, well until we found out in class a month later that we shouldn't have been doing what we did.
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